Shattered Future, Fixed Past
by sarenelsoria
Summary: War decimated the Wizarding World, until Lily Potter created a Horcrux, to send her fifty years into the past, to try to advert disaster. She had expected to die after destroying Voldemort, but she lived. She wakes up in hospital, her memories modified and tries to pick up the pieces of her life. Then there is Snape who clearly wants her to be someone she doesn't think she can be.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Lily stared at the time turner and at the door, the door which would soon open. The door which behind her enemies waited, she straitened her shoulders and turned the time turner back Fifty years. She watched as life sped around her, she saw her parents and her brothers, her family laughing together, happy together, safe alive. That was why she was doing this, why she was rewriting history, so perhaps at least some of them might survive. She hoped that her Father would be able to live as well, he had lived after the Horcrux had been separated from him once before, but still she couldn't be sure. She had to consider the possibility that her Father, she would not call him Daddy, could not, would not survive.

The time turner finished spinning and Lily Luna Potter stepped out into a fine summer day, in 1992. Everything was so different now, she thought eying the muggle street that she was on, before disapparating. No doubt the Unspeakables would be on her trail soon, if they could manage to measure the quantum decay she had left behind. It was possible that she would end this universe, by what she attempted, still with only dark wizards and those too weak to stand up to them, alive in her timeline, she had to do something, anything. She apparated to the Gaunt House first and took back the ring, putting it into a embroidered handkerchief. She then continued on, gathering each of the Horcruxes in turn, until all that remained was the goblet, the diary and the tiara. She transfigured herself into a cat and entered Hogwarts, going to the seventh floor and taking the Tiara, putting it into a bottomless bag that she wore to protect herself from the other Horcruxes.

She walked back out of Hogwarts, no one the wiser and apparated to Diagon Alley. She stared at the seven redheads and two heads of bushy brown and black hair. They were just entering Diagon Alley at the same time as her, so she should have time. She walked into Gringotts, her shoulders strait, her gaze piercing and up to a goblin. "I am Lily Potter, I am the head of the Black Family, as such all vaults belonging to the Black Family are under my control. By extension and in absensia I can collect items from the Lestrange Vault, here is my wrist." She said and the goblin stared at her a moment, before cutting her wrists and nodding when the blood fell onto the stone cleanly.

"I will take you to your vault now, Miss." The goblin said. "I am very surprised that you are alive, I had no knowledge of any connection to the Black Family."

"Yes well, its a very distant one." Lily said and the goblin nodded, he showed her to the vault and Lily extracted Hufflepuff's cup, and returned just as the Weasleys entered the bank. She walked to Flurish and Blots and discovered Lucius Malfoy waiting there. "Imperio." She intoned softly and his eyes glazed over. _You will hand me the diary, you will not remember ever being it given it afterward, nor will you suspect anything. _She said and was handed the diary. She took it and apparated back to the Black estate, she set up fireproofing spells making sure that the fire was contained to one room, before she cast fiend fire on the satchel. She then apparated and grabbed another satchel, before leaving the Black residence to burn. She apparated back to Diagon Alley and saw her Father, standing with the rest of her family. She had one shot of this, steeling herself, it took only three steps and a sure aim. Thinking of all the people she could save by doing this, she leveled her wand at the man who had told her stories, who made the most wonderful hot coco, who had given her pony rides and taught her everything she believed in. She stared at him for a moment, his young face and his happiness to be with the Weasleys so poienient. She dropped a single piece of paper, before she cast the spell. "Avada Kedavra!" She shouted and it took everyone by such surprise that it hit him directly in the forehead. Her Father, her wonderful, loving Father fell down, so very very slowly. She stared at him, as wands were pointed at her, stared at him as the light left his eyes, but she didn't vanish, she didn't disappear. She felt something bloom in her chest, something that she hadn't dared even consider before, she stared at him, dropping her wand and putting her hands up. She had thought that she would vanish, disappear be gone, without a trace of her existence. She had thought wrong, what was happening?

She stared at her Father, as an Auror grabbed her arms. "Wait, please I'll come quietly, if you just let me see if he'll be alright."

"What do you mean girl, you shot an unforgivable at him, you killed him."

"Please sir, just let me see him, let me make sure he's alright."

"You are going to come with me and you've earned yourself a one way ticket to Azkaban."

"Can you give me Veriteserum first, only let me see my Daddy." Lily pleaded and the Auror spun her around and looked at her, really looked at her, his gaze cutting into her heart, into her very soul.

"You have Lily's eyes and hair, but how?" The Auror said.

"I'm just as surprised I'm still here as you are, I'm from the future." Lily said and squared her shoulders. "A future where it would be better to destroy the universe, than to allow it to happen. By my actions today I saved approxamently 30,000 wizards and witches, or at least I will have, if you avoid making the same mistakes." She leveled a glare on the street. "Yes we don't accept your ways and yes we don't let you practice, but killing thousands and having thousands of your loved ones die, of your family members die, isn't the answer. Surely we can come to some agreement, without more bloodshed, without more death. Your hands will be stained red, if they aren't already, red with the blood of innocents, red with the blood of the guilty, red with your own blood. So yes I Lily Luna Potter am guilty of time alteration and the use of two unforgivables, but I don't regret it for a moment. My Uncles and Aunts survive in this reality, perhaps in time so will my cousins, but more then that, so many of you walking the street now, would be dead if I allowed such a future. So yes I took action and I'm willing to be punished for it, I would do anything in service to the greater good and protecting the ones I love." She said and then she heard it a gasp.

"HARRY!" Mrs. Weasley said and Lily smiled.

"It was worth it, now take me away."

"You do not have jurisdiction here auror, we do." A man said and Lily stared at an unspeakable.

"I'll answer any questions, but I know that the fact that I'm alive shows that the current theory of time was wrong. I came here, fully expecting to cease to exist, yet somehow I am still alive. Well until you can get a dementor to suck out my soul at least."

"There will be no soul sucking, you are too vital for that. We need to study you, to determine what factors led to this conclusion."

"You will do no such thing, she's my Grandaughter!" Molly said and Lily stared at her.

"Never said you were my Gran." Lily said.

"Its obvious dear, you have Arthur's cheekbones and your elbows are all mine." Molly said and took out her wand. "Anyone that wishes to harm imprison, or otherwise punish my Granddaughter will have to go through me."

"Molly we don't know this woman, she might be ours, but..."

"She was willing to risk her own existence for us Arthur, that's good enough for me." Molly said and Lily felt tears come to her eyes. She had missed them all so very much and she was seeing Fred for the very first time. She stared at the twins, drinking in the sight of the shocked boys.

"I'd be willing to submit to veriteserum, I have no secrets." She said and she took a small bottle that the Auror handed her, she drained it and then for a short time there seemed like there was nothing to worry about, nothing to fear, she smiled.

"How old are you and where precisely where are you from?"

"I am twenty four years of age, and I am from the year 2042." Lily said and frowned as people seemed shocked.

"Why did you cast the unforgivables?"

"The imperio curse was to get a horcrux from Lucius Malfoy, in order to destroy it, the killing curse was to destroy the horcrux that my father carried in his scar."

"What is a horcrux."

"I don't know exactly, its a way to store a piece of your soul into an object, that way when your body dies, you can still live. I don't know how to make them, or what they are, I just know how to destroy them."

"And how do you do that?"

"With Fiendfire, or the use of basilisk venom."

"Where would you acquire basilisk venom?"

"From the Chamber of Secrets, in Hogwarts, but no one knows parseltongue, that I know of."

"And in your reality, who do you know the name of that died?"

Lily listed off several hundred names, she had always wrote the names in a book, her death book, she kept it with her at all times and whenever she became overwhelmed, whenever it became too much to always be researching and running, to be scrongining for food and living off nutrient potions, she had stared at those names. At first they had just been the names of her family, her friends, but as the war went on, she had written down the names of everyone. After a while the war was forgotten in the name of petty vengeance, in the attempt to avenge those that died. Still she had been hunted the most, she had been in terror of loosing her life the first year, the second she began to loose her fear and by the third the research she had been doing on defensive spells and dark magic in order to survive, had turned to creating a Horcrux, in the hopes that at least a few would live.

"Can you detail the war for me?" The voice asked and Lily smiled, as she talked of what she had seen, what she had done, what she had resisted doing. What she had to do and how it had ended with her going back into the past, with no hope of a future.

She felt the potion wearing off, as the auror stared at her stunned, she blinked her eyes and it all came back to her. She fell to her knees and started to sob, crying for her lost family, her lost childhood, her lost dignity and her lost values. She sobbed and sobbed, then a hand came around her shoulders and she was pulled into a very familiar chest. She clutched at her Gran's clothes as she continued to cry, her Gramps stood over them both, glaring at the auror and everyone else.

"That's quite enough, this girl has been traumatized and should be given aide, not an inquisition." Arthur said and then Lily couldn't make much of anything out, as she rocked back and forth, humming to herself, as it all became too much and she passed out from exhaustion.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

She awoke tucked into bed, with a bedspread pulled over her, she smiled at the familiar pattern, then frowned, she had forgotten Pettigrew, she realized. She wondered if he had escaped and jumped out of the bed, running down the corridor and into Ron's room. She was delighted to find the rat still in his cage, he squeaked when he saw her, but her Uncle and Dad had always been fairly deep sleepers and didn't awaken. She took the cage and apparated to the Auror's offices at the ministry. "I've come to turn in, one Peter Pettigrew and ask for the release of the wrongly imprisoned Sirius Black." She said before apparating again, this time she went to a supplier's shop and ordered nearly every variety of chocolate and flour she could find, as well as several other things besides. She paid out of her sack and took the lot with her back to the Burrow, where she set to baking, she smiled humming a Black Banchee's song as she worked on making the cake. She beat her head along with the rhythm, rolling out the dough as she went. She smiled when it was settled into the oven and then started on white chocolate brownies and lemon meringue, as well as several loafs of bread. She loved holding food, touching it tasting some of the chocolate. She finished making everything putting it into rounds to bake and setting the timer each time. She finished baking and stared around the flour covered kitchen, before cleaning it with her magic. She then sat down and waited impatiently for the cake to finish cooking, she knew that she'd get sick afterwards, after a diet of only nutrient potions, it was inevitable, but it was also worth it to taste her Gran's chocolate cake again, to be able to bake again. She wondered if maybe her Gran might let her bake with her, but that was too soon to hope for. Still she had been given a room at the Burrow and had been trusted not to harm her family while they slept. She watched the cake finish baking and put in the brownies and bread next, as she iced and put chocolate wafers all over the cake. She smiled and cut a huge slice, putting it onto a plate and taking out the whipping cream and mixing it by magic. She cut a huge slice of the cake and took out a fork, savoring her first bite, as she closed her eyes in pleasure. Clearly they had given her some sort of potion, to avoid the nightmares that plagued her, it must have been dreamless sleep. She always took long lasting daydream charms before bed and used a sleeping spell on herself, instead of dreamless sleep. The daydream charms didn't cause dependance, as the dreamless did. She finished the cake slowly and took out the lemon meringue and summoned a stomach soother from her bag. She gulped it down, as she cut a slice of the meringue, before putting in the brownies and bread. She ate the pie, letting the flavors dance upon her tongue, truly there was nothing better in the world then sugar, except for kith and kin, as well as the comforts of a warm fire.

"You are up early." Molly said and Lily's head shot up at the same time as her wand.

"Sorry." Lily apologized and Molly smiled.

"Its quite alright dear, see you have my talent for baking things." She said and Lily blushed.

"You taught me everything I know, sorry about me taking over your kitchen, its just that I haven't..." Lily trailed off. "Nevermind."

"Anyone with eyes can see that you are entirely too skinny, you know I don't blame you for what you did dear, don't you? I understand what its like to make a hard choice, to make a terrible choice. I know what its like to be at war, but I didn't do anything about it, not like you did. Why did you come back to this time though, why not another?"

"It was where I'd meet the least resistance, where I knew I could get to the diary." Lily said and Molly nodded.

"So what do you enjoy doing, besides baking?"

"Enjoy? I haven't had much opportunity to enjoy anything since I was twenty." Lily said and frowned. "You know other than sweets and the satisfaction of discovery, I don't really know. I like potions and charms, but I've only had the opportunity to brew those I needed and even those were hard to come by."

"How bad was it?"

"Fairly bad, people horded food after a while, not to mention that all the dark wizards were after me, which was ironic considering I'm a dark witch."

"You are?"

"Yes I am, I had to become one, in order to survive and I regret it, but once you start doing dark magic, it gets into you." Lily said and Molly nodded.

"I know what you mean, but I'm very glad you did survive." Molly said and Lily smiled. "So who were those children you named, my Grandchildren?" Molly asked and Lily felt tears come to her eyes.

"I don't like to think about them, they might not even be born, thanks to me. Still others might have a chance to live, I like the idea of having little cousins. I can't wait to spend some time with Uncle Fred, if you think he'll accept me."

"Why do you say Uncle Fred, why not your other Uncles?"

"Do you really want to know Gran?" Lily asked. "It won't happen now anyway, I'll make sure it doesn't."

"He died young, didn't he?" Molly said and Lily didn't answer, she couldn't answer, but the look on her face must have been answer enough. "Oh my dear, sweet child." Molly said and held Lily, Lily stiffened.

"Don't pity me Gran, I don't want your pity." Lily said and her Gran nodded.

"It is hard not to, considering what you went through, but I've been through a war too, I lost both my brothers to war. I know what its like to loose people you care about, how it makes you feel and how you wish to do something, anything to hold back the tide of pain, for just a short while." Molly said and patted her hand. "If you ever want to talk dear, know I'm here."

"I know, but I really need to go to the ministry of magic, I need to ensure that one of my ideas that I came up with goes into law." Lily said and Molly looked her into the eyes.

"Lily, you don't need to take it on yourself, to save the world." Molly said. "There are others to help you, that would be more than happy to help you."

"I know, but I don't think our family would like my ideas, Merlin, even I don't like my ideas. What my ideas mean is to isolate the Purebloods from our society, to allow them their own lands and laws. I found a way to move their estates, to build shops and other things besides. The first thing I considered after everyone...was gone, was revenge...Still the purebloods were determined to have their own society at first and that's why Grindlewald got so powerful in the first place, Voldemort was given power for the same reason. The fact of the matter is that laws are constantly being written and the way the system works is that any witch or wizard can submit a law, if they are over the legal age limit. I found a way to set up wards, in a sort of locked community, that once you enter into it, you can never leave. The other solution was to teach others pureblood traditions and customs, from first year up at Hogwarts and other schools of magic. There would also be a required Muggle Studies course, taught by a reliable Professor from a muggle background. My third idea was having something akin to the American's separate but equal ideals after their civil war, but I realized soon that that would create a dichotomy. The muggle born students would be considerably less well off, with much fewer opportunities then the purebloods. Although this has often been the case, there are several pureblood companies that muggleborns used to rely upon for income. The third solution are different laws, where the purebloods can't effect the laws that the muggleborns and 'blood traitors pass and vice versa. However the problem being what would be the legal precedent if the law was broken according to Muggleborn law, but not according to Pureblood. I don't support Purebloods or blood supremacy in any form, but I can see how the old ways have merit. I'm only alive thanks to old magic after all."

"Yes, well I wouldn't know much about the old ways, would I?"

"Its about harmony with nature, in embracing both the dark and light within yourself. I actually am a practicer of the old ways, meditation and magical manipulation are about the only things that can help me keep a clear head most days."

"These old ways, are they separate from those of the Purebloods?"

"The old ways are very different Gran, not even Purebloods practice them that much anymore, because in order to be a true practitioner of old magic, you must know who exactly you are. I do but that's only through years of meditation and magical manipulation. Anyway, I've got to get going Gran, I'm old enough to make my own decisions, so unless you want to attempt to stop me, I suggest we save this discussion for later."

"If that's what you want Lily, just know if you want to talk, I'll always be here." Her Gran said and Lily nodded.

"Why do you accept me, even though I admitted to everyone that I'm a dark witch?"

"Because of the way you look at our family, the way you looked when you came to us. Dark magic can corrupt someone, but that's only if they don't know what they are doing. You seem to be very aware of what you are doing Lily."

Lily smiled and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I just try my best and think before I act, I sometimes don't manage it, but I've gotten better over the years. Sometimes considering every angle before you make your move, is the difference between life and death. I'll see you soon Gran."

"Alright, but do try to eat more then sweets." Molly said and Lily nodded, before disapparating. She apparated to the steps of the ministry and went up to the receptionists. "I have several laws and educational degrees that I wish to be discussed at the next meeting of the wizardgammat, they are to be marked as urgent, as I think the sooner we have some sort of an attempt at resolution, the better."

"Name and registry of the laws?"

"They haven't been properly worded yet, I'm not a lawmaker, just a concerned citizen." Lily said and the receptionist nodded, not looking up from her desk. "I'm Lily Luna Potter, here are the previsions that I suggest, I also suggest a vote be taken in the magical community at large, rather then simply leaving it to the wizardgammat to decide the correct course to take for our future." Lily said and the receptionist stared at her wide eyed. "I don't want anyone else to die and the day I can be assured that the Purebloods will stop fighting for their rights and be given them, without us loosing all of ours, is the day I shall burn the book I always carry with me. Would you like to see the names, to know each one of the fallen, the not yet born? Or do I have to show you what is the result of inaction on the part of the magical community, of going on as though Voldemort was just a nightmare. Its time to wake the fuck up people, Voldemort is gone now, but if you don't listen to me, or create a law you find preferable to mine, I can promise you that someone else will arise to take his place. This much is inevitable and if we don't fix our broken society, it will be too shattered by the time we get our heads up our asses and get the bloody hell to it. I have no say in the doings of the lawmakers of this time, hell by all rights I should have ceased to exist, the second I blasted Voldemort out of my Father's head. Still I know that if nothing is done, there will be bloodshed on a scale of which you cannot imagine and I envy you for it."

"Th-that was your ta-timeline." The receptionist stammered.

"No one knows the nature of time, but all can recognize that there are patterns in which it flows." Lily said. "Do you really want to take a wager on what you say being the truth, lets see, maybe the stakes should be all that you love in this world, because that's what this will come down to eventual, if the collective wizarding community sits around with their thumbs up their asses. I'm a fighter, I don't back down and I never surrender, I will continue to fight for what I perceive to be the best cause. I'm not a purest, I think its absolute malarky to believe that a superior magical race exists, if anything the muggle borns are stronger than the purebloods. However I decided that the only way that we can truly live, is to figure out a way for mutual survival of three very different cultures. That means that no side gets to make up all the laws, it might even mean that the Purebloods will have to isolate themselves, in order for their culture to survive, as they are the only ones with the means and wish to do so completely. It may mean that both Muggle and Pureist traditions will be required lessons at Hogwarts, or it might mean that we develop two completely different legal systems, but I'm not a lawmaker, nor do I understand my enemy and yes I bloody well consider the Puriests my enemies, but there is an old mundane saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If I have to put aside my fear and hatred of Purebloods the least you can do is bloody well try to figure out a solution. Oh and by the way, I'll be publishing my book, for anyone that's interested, for your information, entire Houses died, children were murdered because of their blood status. If you had any notion of what it is like to live in a world where everyone is constantly hunting one another down, in the name of blood debt, where even those that simply wish to research and attempt resolution are targeted, be my guest, but don't say I didn't warn you." With an audible crack Lily disapparated and summoned the copies of her ledger, she'd thought that she'd not be around to do this and it was hard, but if she could save at least some, it would be worth it. She summoned the five thousand copies of her ledger, simply titled Blood War Murders. She sent them all around Diagon Alley, before apparating to what had once been the Potter Manor.

She sighed, before cracking her neck and setting to work. As the stones were all around her, there was no need to gather materials, she had learned long ago how to build shelters in the magical way, out of nessasity, sometimes being able to construct shelter was the only thing that kept you alive. She worked and interlaced stones, braces and spells, until she constructed a modest stone house for herself. She then took all the items she would need from her bag, she loved her family, but she didn't want to trouble them with the owls. She set herself up and was relaxing in a chair, a silencing ward around her when the first one flew in with a howler. More howlers followed along with owls that refused to leave. Though there were some that carried normal letters, which Lily did diagnoses charms on each of them. Some glowed red or black, showing that they were of a malicious intent and she summoned pen and paper for those immediately. She wrote quick missives, stating that if they wished to curse her, Lily would only retaliate in kind and considered any threat to her person to be a grave threat to House Potter. She then locked those birds out of the wards, if they wished to try again, Lily supposed that they could always find other owls. She then set about using a quick notes quill and a dictiquil. The ditiquil was charmed with her father's voice, something that was reassuring to Lily, as she heard the cleverly veiled threats and letters of congratulations. She replied to all of them personally, even though it took most of the morning, before the last one was sent away. She then cracked her neck and put both quils back into the bag, before deciding to get a bit of sleep. She sighed stretching out on her couch and closed her eyes, taking out a two hour daydream charm and breaking it over herself, before casting a weak strength sleeping spell.

She awoke from her nap feeling refreshed and with the sounds of her cousin's happy laughter in her ears. She smiled, perhaps such a future would be possible, most likely not for those cousins that she lost, but for other family members not yet born. She smiled, before disaparating, taking her bag with her. She arrived at the Burrow and groaned. "No one opened them right?" Lily demanded and Molly nodded.

"Yes dear, we thought it best not to."

"I'll set up the wards for here then too." Lily said and drew out her wand casting a pentagram and chanting in latin, as she walked around the property, when it was finished, the owls left and no owls addressed to Lily Potter would be getting into the Burrow. "Well I can't say I hadn't expected it, where is everyone?"

"Everyone but Arthur went out for a game of Quidditch, Arthur should be home about seven."

"Brill!" Lily said and raced out the door, she grinned when she saw her family flying and took out her own broom, hoping that maybe they'd let her join. "Can I play too?" Lily called.

"Sure what position are you?"

"Seeker." Lily said. "Hey Da-Harry want to borrow one of my brooms, I'm sorry about earlier."

"Its alright, Mrs. Weasley explained, can't believe that I had a piece of him in my head!"

"Yeah well, things always happen to our family, don't they?" Lily asked, before taking out another broom from her bag and tossing one to Harry. "Be careful, its much faster then what you are used to, you set the speed by kicking down on the foot rests."

"Wicked!" Harry said. "Thanks er, Lily." He said and Lily grinned, as Harry looked over at Ginny and blushed.

"You guys really loved each other, but this is a completely different timeline, I'd understand if you'd not want to be together, after all your just kids."

"..." Harry said clearly not certain of what to say.

"You were a great Dad too, but I suppose I'm going to be the one taking care of you for a change." Lily said and went over to him ruffling his hair. "Always wanted a little brother, guess I got one now." She said and Harry smiled.

"You did know I was going to live right?" He blurted and Lily nodded.

"I was fairly certain of it yes, but I thought that even though the thought of killing you killed me, that it would be worth it if I managed to save the rest of my family, not to mention tens of thousands. Keep in mind I wasn't planning on sticking around either, I sort of thought that's I'd just cease to exists. Anyway are we going to be talking about my sad and sorry existence, or are we going to play some quidditch?" Lily demanded, before laughing and taking off on her broom, everyone stared after her for a moment, before launching into the air. Lily laughed, feeling freer than she had in a very long time, she rode the air currents, shifting her speed, until the world around her slowed and nearly stopped. She couldn't hear anyone at supersonic, but they couldn't hear her either, though you could see them. Her cap whipped around in the wind, but she'd yet to be comfortable enough to take it off yet and disillusion the glammars, she felt naked without them now. Towards the end of the war, people had learned to aim for the eyes and keep a bottomless bag around their nether regions, after several had been killed going to the bathroom. it was hard to aim for a target the size of someone's eyeball, but no one could figure out dependable safety spells for the eyes. Dragons had been hunted to extinction for their skin and Lily had added wards and charms to her's to maintain a constant temp inside of 18 C. There were also enough cushioning charms and shock absorbers that if she feel from a height as great as five hundred feet, she'd bounce. She had also charmed them to repeal and rebound any curse cast at her, as well as putting warning spells in place, so she could be alerted if any wizard approached her while glammared or invisible. The suit also had a mouth piece, from which Lily could insert food and talk. The suit had seemed stifling at first, when she had first stolen one, but now it felt like a second skin. She was comfortable in it and she enjoyed the safety it provided her with, although she did wish that she could perfect the tactile spell. She could sense when someone brushed against her, but she couldn't truly feel it. She shifted down seven speeds and smiled as her family stared at her. "No going that fast, alright Harry, you aren't wearing the suit I am, or have the skill at flying I do."

"What suit?" Harry asked.

"Wanna see, its a bit like those science fiction films that you insisted on having us watch as kids." Lily said and Harry nodded, she shifted down into neutral, leaving her broom hovering in midair, before she took off the glamor spells, everyone stared at her and she grinned. "I know its a bit freaky to get used to, but I swear I'm not disfigured or anything, I just feel unprotected without it and its habit to wear it."

"You look like some sort of dragon."

"Yes well there's a reason for the glamor spells, I don't want this getting out, but spelled dragon hide can save your life and can even repeal unforgivables."

"Really wicked!"

"I'll make you all suits, but you'd have to promise me to wear them at all times and they can get a bit claustrophobic at first."

"Er there aren't any openings, how do you use the bathroom." One of the twins asked and Lily grinned.

"I have a bottomless bag inside my suit, I empty it out after I'm finished, otherwise it can get a bit ripe."

"Can you smell, outside the suit I mean?"

"Of course, there are tiny nostril slits, which are one fourth the size of your nostels, through which I both smell and breath."

"Can I take a closer look?" One of the twins asked and she nodded, before jumping off her broom with bent knees and bouncing several times, before her momentum stopped. She grinned as one of the twins came down and landed next to her. "That's brilliant."

"Thanks, er which one are you?" Lily asked and the boy grinned.

"I'm Gred, isn't that right Forge."

"Thought you said I could be Gred today, Forge." The boy said and Lily laughed delighted. He took her jacket and his magical signature registered as Fred Weasley.

"There are spells to keep the air at 18 c, as well rebounding and protective wards." Lily said. "Can you see the lay marks?" She asked and Fred nodded, his expression awed. "George actually taught me about lay marks and showed me how to invent things, before well everything really started to get bad. Though admittedly I stole the suit, which was one of my more hair brained ideas. Still it was very hard to come across good quality dragon leather in those days."

"Did someone else die because you stole this?"

"In all probability, but they were murdering dragons and I had over a hundred people on my trail. When its your life against someone else's you'd be surprised to discover what people do, to save their own skin. I don't regret trying to keep my own life, because it brought me back to you, even if its just for a little while, its wonderful to be with you all again. Speaking of which, don't let Gran see alright?" She asked and Fred nodded, as she handed him over the directional guide to making all the Weasley Wizarding Weases. "Its spelled so only family can read it and really I think only you could understand it at this point, George gave it to me, after I started working for him in the shop, a little after Hogwarts."

"George, not me?"

"You don't need to know what will never come to pass Fred." Lily said fiercely her hair sparking as it did, whenever she got highly emotional.

"I died didn't I?"

"Its not going to happen, I'll make sure of it."

"How, by pretending to be some all knowing person from the future."

"I'm not all knowing, I just know wizard nature and I'd do anything to prevent my future from happening." Lily said fiercely. "Including using all my considerable gold."

"How much do you have exactly, mind giving two young entrepreneurs a hand?"

"Yes, but only if you swear an unbreakable vow to finish your education." Lily said. "Gran would skin me otherwise." She added and everyone laughed.

"You strike a tough bargain, but alright." Fred said and Lily smiled.

"You have to put forth actual effort as well, no more skating by, because school bores you both to tears."

"Yes Lilyflower and I have to say..."

"That your scarier than Mum." George said and Lily shrugged, reapplying her glamor.

"I suppose that's a complement, what do you lot think of me applying for Hogwarts."

"Lily hate to break it to you..."

"But your older then we are..."

"You should make your own decision..."

"We can't be your uncles, we're just kids." They finished together and Lily smiled.

"I know that, but I'd be your professor and I'd most likely make Lockheart angry, but he's complete rubbish and he'd step down if Dumbledore let me have the job."

"Most likely he would, if you swore not to do dark magic, other then defensive spells." Molly said coming out with lemonade and cookies.

"Sometimes the best defense is an offense, I'd swear that I wouldn't attack unless someone was threatening me, or the people that I love, but I won't box myself into a corner when there might be a very real threat to my life, or the lives of those I care about. I came back hoping that maybe I'd be able to avert the war and failing that, that some of my family would at least survive. I'm not going to make a promise not to do whatever I deem nesseasary to handle a threat to myself, or anyone that I care about. I cannot do that, I won't do that, I'm a warrior Gran and I might have left my war behind me, but its not so easy to drop your wand, when its been the only thing between you and death countless times. I use dark magic as little as I can and rely more upon old magic, or light magic, but I have killed before and I will kill again if I deem it to be worth the stain. You don't understand, your war, or what I've read of it, was nothing like the scale of mine, I'd offer to show you my memories, but they'd keep you up at nights. The only reason I can sleep is that I use daydream charms and sleeping spells."

"Are daydream charms dangerous, I've never heard of them."

"They were created several years into the future, but they are non addictive and once you learn to control the daydream it can actually be a blessing. I'm like Dad, what's important to me is family and I'll do anything, compromise anything to protect them. I know you can understand at least that, if not the horrors of my war, something that I have no desire for anyone to understand, but likely will have to share my pensive memories of it anyway." Lily said as Arthur apparated on the field bordering the property, Lily started towards him. "Wait Arthur, I need to get you registered." Lily said and Arthur stopped in front of the warded boundary, she touched him and smiled when she saw that it was indeed her Grandfather. "Interium Arthur Weasley, transferium, now all you have to do when you want someone to enter the house is to say interium and then their name, the wards will respond and will reject anyone who's magical signature isn't connected to the wards, although that person has to actually be there. I suppose that ministry will be wanting me?"

"Yes, they sent me to get you, you've caused quite the stir young lady." Arthur said and Lily grinned.

"All in the name of the defense of magic kind." Lily said and slipped her wand into the suit. "Do they want you too, or just me?"

"Just you, got to get back to work." Arthur said and Lily nodded, apparating to the reception area.

"Lily Potter reporting in, someone wanted me from the ministry." Lily said and the receptionist nodded, staring at her with fear and horror. "You've read it then."

"I have, my name is in here."

"So are many others, now can you tell me where to go please, I don't like crowded areas, they make me jumpy."

"Courtroom five." The woman said and Lily nodded apparating to courtroom five, the wards she placed on both houses were the only ones that truly prevented entry, the wizengammat jumped startled by her arrival.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Lily smiled at the Wizengammat though she felt as though her courage was false, she had to act tough around these people, or else she'd never be respected."So what do you want to see?" Lily asked. "Most probably you'll be wanting to get me checked into Saint Mungos after this, but I don't need therapy, I need you lot to ensure that I don't see another child's body in the street." She said and they stared at her. "I didn't include the ages, because the book itself would be a shock, but if you'd like to see just say revielum ageium." She said and sighed, before pointing her wand hand at her temple and extracting memories. "I killed people, when you've got hundreds on your trail, all you can think of is your own survival. Though by the end, it was a lot less then a hundred, they'd nearly caught up to me, by the time I made the time jump." She said, adding memory after memory to the pensive, feeling lighter then she had in years, she really needed to buy a pensive soon. "I didn't kill unless it was absolutely nessasary unlike most by the end, if you wish to face yourselves, to realize what you might become go ahead, but I suggest that Dumbledore and Macnair watch this and Macniar, being a death eater is nothing like what you are about to see." Lily said and settled herself into a seat, changing her glamor to a blue dress and feeling slightly relaxed for the first time in years. Macnair and Dumbledore weren't so lucky, both lasted longer then Lily expected, before pulling their heads out of the pensive and wretching. "That's only a taste, I had daydream charms and memories of a loving family, but others weren't so lucky. I suspect most were completely mad by the time I arrived here, was it the future you wanted Macnair?"

"No, I never wanted that." Macnair said pale and Lily nodded.

"I suggest that laws be changed to ensure that this future will not take place, I leave those laws up to you, you've heard my suggestions. Dumbledore I'd like to apply for Defense against the Dark Arts, I think that I'm more qualified then anyone for that position. To really defend yourself against the dark arts, requires knowing them, knowing where to step and where you will fall, its much like a dance, a dance of life and death. I'm quite the good dancer and I have very good protection, if anyone wishes to try me, but be warned, once you threaten me I will show no mercy. This is your only warning, if anyone sends curses to my home or threatens my kin again, I will open their little presents and I will reply in kind." She said and dropped the glamor, everyone stared at her and she smiled, though they could not see it. "Survival is alright, but I truly wish to live and I'll fight anyone that wishes to take that right. I think that everyone here can agree that everyone has the right to at least attempt to live, how they wish as long as it doesn't harm others. I am not a serpent or a lion, I am a Raven, which means that I value intelligence and planning, courage and wisdom. I am who I am, because of what I suffered, because of the blood staining my hands and no one has the right to judge me, not until you've seen my memories, taken a walk in my shoes. Perhaps you'd come out sane, I sometimes wonder if I did in the end, or perhaps not. Still if two strong men can look into my pensive and fall ill, you have got to wonder what it contains. Now may I be excused, I'm not a member of the wizengammat, though I could buy any seat twenty times over if I wished and both Dumbledore and Macnair know it. Gold doesn't buy everything however and I'd rather not be wasting galleons, when they could go towards something more productive."

"Your spell work is amazing." Macnair said and Lily smiled.

"Thank you, I enjoy books perhaps when I feel safer, I shall create a library that will be the envy of any wizard."

"What's that suit?"

"Spellwork and leather, the spells are complicated, a mixture of both old magic, what is referred to as dark arts and light magic. if you cast a spell at me it would bounce back." Lily informed Macnair. "You saw the effect did you not, once all the dragons were killed."

"The spells would ricochet until they struck anyone in the vicinity, or anyone who's spelled suit wasn't strong enough to withstand the onslaught."

"There's a reason that I can bounce back up from a five hundred foot drop, I had to get very good at protective spells. Even though I didn't want to fight, because of the nature of my family, I was targeted. You saw the day that haunts my nightmares, when I allow myself to dream without aide, which is very rare. Tell me how does it feel to kill a twelve year old girl, just because of what her family believes in, because I don't know, I never knew that. By the time I considered it, I was determined to stop the insanity, children were pointing wands at each other, casting killing curses. The spell suit is keyed to my magical signature which means even after I'm dead, you'd be unable to remove it from my corpse, though it was tried in a verity of creative ways. Not even the muggle realm was safe by the end, because after you see your little cousins murdered, your brothers, your mothers, your fathers, your sons, your daughters, something cracks inside of you and you are never the same. At least I didn't watch my family's deaths, because I refused to go to the memorial, I wanted to study. I learned the hardest lesson ever taught that day and I learned it well. Those who would destroy me would do well to listen, no matter how safe you think you are, no matter how happy you might be, if you make enemies they will attack when you least expect it. Though in the case of my father, he never had a choice, a prophesy forced him to be who he was, before he ever got a chance to find what he might have wanted to be. I'm going to give him that chance and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he has it. Whatever it takes, oh and by the way you can't send me to jail, because not only does this suit transform along with me, but I doubt any spell you fire will have any effect and I have built in pratronis charms on it. Knives won't work either, or muggle weapons, if you get that desperate. I'm willing to acknowledge that you are different people now, willing to give you the chance to change, but if you ever come near me or mine, there will be no mercy, no quarter will be given, they will be picking up pieces of you up off the street. Both Macnair and Dumbledore can vouch for my sanity, my sanity isn't the issue here, I have huge trust issues, then again when you see your little cousin's head explode in the Daily Prophet, you'd have trust issues as well. It wasn't a very pretty sight at all, so who do I talk to about getting a pensive, because you have no idea of the pain of my memories. Imagine the Voldemort Wars times a thousand and maybe you might get the picture, so the only question is if you are going to do something about it? Personally I'd rather not live in a world that even when you know a person is who they say they are, you still can't trust them. I'm easy to read, all I care about are those that are important to me, by the end it didn't matter what your blood status was, as long as you could watch the other person's back, long enough and trust them to watch yours. People I would have never expected to become my allies were by the end, though I never forgave those that killed my family, they I killed slowly once I became powerful enough and the scariest thing to me was that I enjoyed it."

"No one can imagine what you went through, I am so sorry my dear."

"You died before the war was even over, you sent my father on a deadly quest and tried to get him killed, forgive me if I don't trust you Dumbledore. The only reason I chose you was that you could vouch for the light and no one should see what they could be capable of, in another reality. I see many in this room who's hands were stained red, for many different reasons and the same, there is nothing more important in this world then family. However a part of me is glad that my kin died, that I never had to see what they might have become. I am a monster, I know that, but as monsters go I'm a fairly good one. You have no idea how tempting it is to kill some people in this room, for something they haven't even done. There are further spells on those books that I distributed, those of allies, betrayers and enemies by the end I'd welcome anyone that would give me a moments peace. If you'd like a little prospective I'll show you it, but if you'd rather live your life blind, that's fine too. I'm actually considering having my memory modified to get rid of these memories, because I'm here now and that's what's important. Still I need to be sure that what happened in my reality, will never happen in this one. If you'd like to see the ages and who killed whom, I can show you that too, but ignorance is bliss. I face my monster, but you have no notion of the monster that truly lurks inside each and everyone of you, the monster that constantly hungers, that wishes to devour everyone and everything in its path, to ensure its life and the lives that it cares about. By coming here I pretty much blew out of existence several thousand people. Who knows you might get to have those kids in time, you might never have them, still it is better to cease to exist, then to live in the world I came from. I suppose you might say that I shouldn't have decided for so many, but there are two phrases I'd like to use to close and begin discussion of what you think should happen next. The needs of the many out way the needs of the few and there is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to seek it. I am not what Purebloods perceive as weak, though I was hunted by the end, you could bet if I walked down the street people would get out of my way as quickly as possible. I know what it is like to have that kind of power, its exhilarating and it is terrifying, you would not wish to hunt the hunter, for I am better at this game than any of you. I know this because I've faced several of you and most of you are dead in my reality, I'm sure you already realize this, but in the end only the strong, intelligent and cleaver really survived. Loyalty means shit if there's no one to return it, that being said, I have never betrayed anyone that truly wished to ally themselves with me, though I got into the habit of keeping enough veriteserum on me at all times, to fill a swimming pool. Use of the imperious and veriteserum is a very effective interrogation method and leaves very little magical scaring."

"You used the imperius and veriteserum?" Lucius demanded.

"Yes I did, there are many names in my book that you are responsible for Lucius Malfoy, shall I show you what you became, before you question me about ensuring my survival. By the way, by the end you killed your own Grandson, because he decided to align himself with me. The paper in the books is truth spelled and I will not hold you accountable for the crime of wishing to survive. I assure you by the end most would have been locked up in an insanity ward, if we lived in gentler times. I got by with daydream charms and offerered any to those that would stand beside me, knowing what I was attempting. By the end all of my allies died to ensure that I made it back here, that I could avert this disaster and that was what it was, disaster. " Lily swallowed thickly. "I need the pensive, please." She said as all the memories rushed up to meet her, Scorpius laughing, as Nathanial Zambini played his guitar and sang ridiculous lyrics about a imaginary lover, both their bodies, then the rest opened like a floodgate and she rushed to the pensive, emptying as many of her memories as she possibly could. She felt her stomach wretch and bring up what little was left of the cake, as she kept pulling her memories into the pensive, until the onslaught stopped. She was sobbing by the end hunched in on herself, before she took a deep breath and straitened. "You have no notion of how hard talking of this is for me, I try not to think of these things at all, but when I fail it can be overwhelming."

"I'd like to see." Macnair said and Lily nodded.

"You died before my Father won his war, this book is only of the war I had to fight." Lily said and took out her wand pointing it at the book. "Would you like to see all?"

"Yes, I believe I need to." Macnair said and Lily nodded.

"There is no absolution, you can only move on as best as you can." Lily said and allowed Macnair to see everything.

"Scorpius Malfoy and Nathanial Zambini, they were your friends?"

"Yes, though we never spoke to one another at Hogwarts, there is much to be said for mutually assured survival. They gave their lives knowing that I was the only one that might be able to accomplish making a time turner, of warning those in the past."

"If you truly wish for a selective memory wipe, I could do it for you."

"While tempting I need to insure that what happened will never happen again."

"It won't that much I can assure you, the others will listen to me, so many lost." Macnair said and Lily nodded.

"Yes, whoever they were in life, they were mourned." Lily said and turned to the wizard who offered her the memory wipe. "I'm sorry but I don't trust you, I don't let people into my head that I don't trust. Its hard to admit even to myself, but even though they know that I'd never do them any harm, I don't completely trust my own kin. After living as I have trust becomes a luxury that one cannot afford. It is much better now, then it was before the pensive I feel so much lighter and any that wish to see my memories can, I have nothing to hide, that doesn't mean I have nothing to loose. You don't realize how good you have it, not until you see my world. I don't want the old traditions to die, because I learned some of them and they have value, but neither do I think that they are worth what lies there. I'm just one person, I'm twenty four years old and feel more like I'm ninety-four and I've lived the last four years of my life in my own personal hell, I cannot change the world, but I can at least try to get others to see what their blood has bought. In the end I doubt anyone would think that it would be worth the price. Now may I leave, my deaths are accounted for, just like everyone else's, I had quite the impressive count, but I don't like to kill, I hate killing in fact and I'd only do it if it was the only option. Imagine a world where you are forced to kill in order to survive, where you know each day, each moment could be your last and then perhaps you can judge me. I can't all argue all were in self defense, after a while I got tired of madmen killing little babies and small children, so I became the hunter. I was called the Lioness not because of my house, but because of my determination to protect cubs, no matter what their family might be. You have no idea what its like to allow a seven year old to act like a human shield so you can just have a second longer for your time turner, to take you to a past where you believe that you will cease to exist. Somehow I'm still here and I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but my desire to truly live, out ways my desire to no longer endear these memories. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to order lunch at Forteskews and enjoy the day. I'd appreciate group letters if you have any further questions, as my home seems to have become a nesting ground for owls. I'd also appreciate it if you released my Godfather Sirius Black, you have by now received Peter Pettigrew to take his place." Lily said and disaporated, putting her glamours back into place, she arrived outside of the Ministry.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

From the ministry Lily walked to Gringotts and up to a goblin she recognized, except for his eyes. His eyes were darker than her friend's had been. She knew that this must be Gorshatil's father. "Arkshard, I'd like to set up an account." Lily said and the goblin stared at her, his gaze snapping up from the desk.

"You know me?"

"I do, your son often talked fondly of you, he would tell me stories, in between cursing wizards to Delfgora. I didn't blame him for that, because I was doing the same." Lily said and laughed. "Though you do not know me, I consider you Horrinar and if you need something of me, you may ask it."

"Which isn't to say that you would give it."

"Of course not, one does not give such open offers, it would be urkarl." She said and he laughed, urkarl meant against the odd game.

"You are playing a very difficult game of urkarl, with very high stakes."

"I aim to win, I'd like to open a vault."

"You do realize that there is a possibility of the ministry seizing your assets."

"I do, but what I wish to leave are the possessions of others in any event, I was expecting only my bag to make it through. I'm not sure the ministry is ready for my designs yet, but do you know if there's any possible way that a large tract of land can be bought?"

"How large do you want it?"

"At least twenty thousand acres or so, I want to establish a magical community there."

"Very well, there are several properties close to one another that may be what you wish for, but the Malfoy residence is in the center of these properties." The goblin said and Lily nodded.

"Is there any tract of land that I can purchase that doesn't run through the center of another, while being to my specifications?"

"Unfortunately that is not the case, perhaps you could connect what you wish to build by floo, or some other means of transport."

"I suppose that will have to do for now, what is the price for the land."

"One million galleons is the current suggested market value, though one family did say that they would reduce that price, it they determined what their home to be used for to be worthy."

"Its alright, I'll buy both of them at the current price." Lily said and took out ten bags from the pouch around her neck, she handed them to the goblin who opened the first, before slowly pouring out and nodding.

"This will be adequate, congratulations Mistress Montorga and Prince."

"I never said I wanted titles."

"They come with the land, you are now Lily Potter Montorga Prince, you have also gotten the Prince and Montorga vaults and all their possessions at the time of death. It is a long standing tradition that wizards can buy their way into a family, I just didn't say what was to be the nature of such an acquisition, as the guidelines for such things were placed in both their wills."

Lily nodded and was given the location of both houses. Lily decided that it would be better to go to Forteskews first, before apparating and setting up the wards she wished for both tracts of land to have, the ward stones the goblin had given her, hung around her neck. She sat down and smiled as someone brought over some water, she ordered a sandwich, soup and a sunday wishing she could feel the sun on her face. She smiled at all the people she saw passing by, on their way to one thing or another. She watched them for a while, before someone stood in front of her. Her eyes snapped to them, she hadn't been paying attention, someone could have easily taken her life.

"Might I sit here, I wish to talk with you." His voice was like velvet and Lily nodded.

"That would be fine sir, forgive me but I don't know your name."

"I am Severus Snape, potions master at Hogwarts, you know what its like don't you, to fight yourself." He asked and Lily nodded.

"Every day can be a struggle sometimes, that's why I entend on setting up wards where people cannot cast harmful spells. Of course it would be anyone's decision whether or not they wished to use those wards."

"That sounds like a very worthy goal, why do you wish to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

"To educate people on the nature of Dark Arts and to teach them the counter spells to the most common dark magic." Lily said and took a sip from her drink. "I have no desire for what I know to become common knowledge, I simply wish to ensure that wizards can protect themselves, should my advice go unheeded and the worst happen."

"Oh I think others are definitely going to listen to what you are saying, they won't have much of a choice. So other then the list, did you make any other books?"

"I never had the time, I'll need to make one soon although I've purchased two tracts of land recently and intend to add to the wards so that no offensive spells can be cast on them." Lily said and Severus nodded. "Do you sleep well Mr. Snape?" She asked suddenly and he shook his head.

"No I do not, I cannot."

"I use daydream charms, as well as sleeping spells. I could give you some if you wished and teach you the proper spells. It takes practice but in time you can control your dreams, they are non habit forming, but I tend to use them most night to avoid nightmares."

"I cannot imagine what you have gone through."

"I pray that you don't have to, that no one will have to." Lily said and sighed. "What I wouldn't give to feel the sun in my face, the wind in my hair, but I feel as though I can't even trust my own family."

"That is natural, I know what is like to feel as though you can trust no one, perhaps we could trust each other."

"I'd like someone to watch my back, but I'm not my Grandmother Mr. Snape, don't expect me to be her, because you will be disappointed."

"I can't help but to see her when I look at you, though I know you are a very different person. I do not expect anything from you, I simply wish to get to know you, you intrigue me."

"And you intrigue me sir, would you care to sit down, if you don't mind me eating, my lunch should arrive shortly."

"Might I suggest that you work on several other books first, before tackling the wards you are thinking of building?"

"I suppose I could do that and I could use an anchor for the working." Lily said and Snape nodded.

"I would be glad to be of assistance, so far I have agreed with everything you have said, on the nature of the Pureblood delimma." Snape said and Lily smiled.

"That's because its the truth, there are those that prefer to hide from the truth, but there are those always willing to see it. I went through a war so terrible that people had gone quite insane by the end. I don't like thinking of those memories, instead most of the time while I was constantly vigilant, I also escaped to my minds cape, to hear the sound of my brother's laughter."

"You had brothers?"

"Two James Sirius and Albus Severus." Lily said and Snape stared at her. "My father knew what you had sacrificed for him, he was very grateful and taught his children not to assume the worst of people. I don't assume, I just know what people are capable of and resist the temptation to not give them a chance, for a different sort of future, a different sort of life."

"That's what you want isn't it, more than anything, its what I want too. Yet I feel obligated to Headmaster Dumbledore, for all that he has done for me."

"You don't need to feel that way Sir, you owe Dumbledore nothing, everyone makes mistakes when they are young. Mine was taking everything as black and white, when there are thousands of shades of grey. There is a balance, light magic cannot exist without dark, I believe that is why magical strength is fading within our communities. For when we deny either light, or dark magic, we deny a part of ourselves. There are safe dark spells to use and there are unsafe ones, I think the only reason I'm sane is that I believe firmly in the balance, that and my mindscape and now knowing that I have family waiting for me."

"Family can be a curse."

"It can also be a blessing, you can call me Lily if you wish, might I call you Severus?" She asked holding one palm still and circling the other around it in a clockwise motion, the gesture for mutual protection. Snape took both of her hands in his and nodded.

"Yes you may and I would be glad to accept your offer, I hope that the Headmaster will allow you to teach, you have much to teach us all I believe."

"Thank you Severus, I'll still do lectures somehow, on the nature of magic, I found everything out the hard way. I would also like to start free speech forems, for any that wished to attend, in order to better understand one another and the other magical races."

"I get a feeling that there is much you are leaving out."

"I don't leave anything out, there are just aspects that I have no desire to share. I do not trust easily and I feel unwilling to trust this reality with information that might well lead to its distraction. I share only what I feel is safe to, I am an open book, however there are things which a author does not write about."

"I can understand such a viewpoint, knowledge is power after all, whether or not that it is power that one might wish for in the end, is immaterial if you already have that knowledge."

"That is true, do you know many Pureblood customs?"

"I was taught them as a boy, by my mother when my father was at work. Still they don't accept me because I'm a half blood."

"I see perhaps I should get someone else to write the books I want written." Lily said. "I've never quite understood Purebloods myself, perhaps because I'll never truly be one, though I did have several Pureblood compatriots by the end." Lily smiled thinking of her friends, who might be gone, but certainly weren't forgotten. "I wonder if I'll disappear once this reality's Lily Potter is born, I can ultimately assume nothing."

"It has been established that the temporal flow does not work that way, although if you change an event to the point where your birth is impossible..."

"I see what you are saying, thank you Severus, though I do not like the idea that people would hunt children, its an all too real possibility. For now behind the wards, Harry and Ginny are safe." She said and smiled as her food arrived. "Thank you Florian." She said and took a bite of her sandwich, she moaned in pleasure and Snape tensed. "Sorry I can't get food like this often." She said and Snape nodded.

"I understand, it is good to enjoy the small pleasures of life." Snape said as he was served a small flagon of firewhiskey along with a salad. "What house were you in school?"

"Ravenclaw." Lily said and smiled. "Though the hat considered both Slytherin and Gryffindor, I wanted to be great, but at that time I didn't wish to alienate myself from my kin, in order to do so." Lily took another bite of her sandwich, before spooning up some of the tomato soup. "Do you know what its like to survive off of nutrient potions?"

"It never got that bad for me, but I know what it would be like in theory." Snape replied and Lily nodded.

"Its slowly starving yourself, at least by the time I came here, I wasn't precisely skeletal." She said and took a stomach soother from her bag. "I know I shouldn't be eating like this, but good food is a treat too good to pass up." She said and smiled at him, before taking out a bottle of icewhiskey. It had been rare to find it and she had ultimately asked the last member of the Norrigan family how to prepare it. He had taught her, in exchange for one sided protection and even though she had to constantly watch her back around him, she found it was worth it, to have something to dull the pain for a short time. "Would you care to try this, its about as strong as fire whiskey." Lily said, pouring a glass and slamming it back before the glass could ice over. "I didn't bring ice glasses with me, so you need to drink it quick, before it freezes over."

"What is that?"

"Ice whiskey, it was created several years after the second Voldemort War." Lily said and smiled at Severus. "Go on try it, I personally prefer it to fire whiskey."

"Very well." Snape said and poured a small tumbler full before slamming it back and shivering slightly. "Its got a pleasant aftertaste." He said and Lily nodded.

"I could give you the recipe if you like."

"I'd appreciate that, I do not see why you don't use your knowledge of the other reality to become rich."

"I already am rich, I don't need to pile more wealth on top of more then I can spend in several lifetimes. In any event it feels a bit like stealing from those that invented the items I grew up loving. Money isn't important to me, its not what I'm driven by, sure it gives you the luxury of doing what you want, when you want, but I can do that anyway, to a certain extent. I've actually been working on a project of my own, I had some goblin help to start and I might be able to finish it and sell them on the common market. As I'm creating them, they would be mine to give as I saw fit, by Goblin law. Unfortunately I'm only still an apprentice in the craft, technically speaking."

"You mean to say that a goblin taught you some of their magic."

"Yes well, by the end we all had to band together, in order for mutually assured survival. I grew quite fond of speeding elixir and sharing my broom, by the end of the war."

"Your broom?"

"It can travel at supersonic speeds, time slows down around you." Lily said and shrugged. "As long as your riding with someone, it can be like you are in your own private world." She said. "I've always been one of those that requires very little sleep, it puzzled me when some of my compatriots had to sleep for at least six hours in order to function, I can function on two hours in a twenty four hour period, but prefer longer then that. Sleep was a luxury to us, along with just about everything everyone here takes for granted." She sighed and dunked her sandwich into the soup, taking a bite and chewing slowly, savoring the flavors. She continued to eat a moment, noticing the way Snape looked at her, with no little amount of awe.

"What do you actually look like?"

"You know, I have no idea, I could feel myself getting skinnier we all could, but we didn't want to think about how skinny we were." Lily said. "I'm not going to remove the suit until I have a few good meals in me." She said and smiled at Snape.

"Food is one of life's pleasures, as is good company." He said and she smiled pouring both of them another drink and touching his glass with his own.

"Arvoric." She said and drained it. "Goblin word that means you speak the truth and I solute your saying of it." Lily said and Snape nodded.

"So are you a brewer?" He asked and Lily nodded.

"My worst subject in school was actually charms, wards fall more into line with ancient runes, which is why I have any aptitude for them. After that it was transfiguration that I struggled with the most, but I still managed to become...I forgot to register." Lily said and rubbed her face with her hand. "Can someone register my form for me, I'm a cat." Lily said and Snape smiled.

"I've always liked cats."

"I do too, but at the moment I'm looking for friendship, more then a relationship. I need to get things sorted, before I can even think of being with anyone and I have Harry and Sirius to take care of, once they free him."

"You don't need to take the world on your shoulders, I find that it tends to keep spinning."

"Harry needs me, he has no one and Sirius may be many things, but he isn't a fit guardian." Lily said and Snape laughed.

"Yes that is true, he wouldn't have been, even before he spent eleven years in Azkaban." Snape said and Lily smiled, feeling slightly buzzed.

"So what do you like to do, other then potions?"

"Potions are my life, my reason for existence, there is nothing I like more then solving a complex brewing problem." Snape said and Lily smiled.

"I like potions too, but I suppose you could say my passion is saving people, its a Potter trait I'm afraid."

"No you are wrong, its an Evans trait." Snape took the bottle and knocked back another glass.

"Careful, don't drink too much."

"You are not my mother." Snape said and Lily nodded.

"I'm not, but do you really wish to become blind drunk?" Lily asked and he stared at her.

"This stuff, esh tha po-po..." Snape frowned. "Wha was I shaying?"

"I was just telling you that you should not drink another glass, not if you don't want to pass out. I should have warned you earlier, but I was enjoying our conversation."

"Pretty." He mumbled his eyes fluttering closed before snapping open, Lily sighed and wondered if she should cast a sobering charm or not. Snape was a grown wizard and several years older than Lily, if he wished for oblivion it was his affair. She shot a mild sobering charm at him and he blushed. "I'm sorry."

"Its quite alright, if you wish to get that drunk its alright too, but you should feel a mild buzz. I am sorry I didn't warn you of the strength of the alcohol, I was enjoying myself too much."

"What proof is it?"

"Its sixty percent alcohol, but the way its brewed doesn't effect the liver." Lily said. "I don't tend to drink more than two glasses, unless I want to get really hammered."

"How often do you drink it?"

"I tend to try to avoid it, but when my nerves get very frayed or I wish to celebrate, I indulge. I really should have warned you, I'm sorry."

"Its fine, at least I didn't make too big of a fool out of myself. You look so much like your paternal Grandmother."

"Thank you, others say that I do as well, I have seen pictures, but there are slight differences as well." She said and smiled at him.

"You have her smile, how does that glamor work?"

"It moves as I do, in whatever way I wish to move, it follows, its not tied into the suit, as then it would be unchangeable and I like to wear pretty things. Those that preferred functionality over vanity tied them to their suit, but I like to be able to change styles. You don't know how shocking it is for some people to have someone striding towards you in a cocktail dress, sometimes I went so far as to get into a bikini to have an edge on my opponents. There came a time where you'd do just about anything for some beauty, several people were killed because they just wanted to forget for a short time, in the arms of another. I was never that stupid, though I had many offers from my compatriots, I turned them all down in favor of daydream charms." She said and blushed. "I've clearly had too much too." She said.

"No I want to hear more of your reality, it sounds horrible."

"It really wasn't until I was twenty, in fact I was really rather sheltered. I don't think Daddy even knew of how bad things were going to get, no one knew, not even those who planned the rebellion. You don't kill war heroes and their families, without reprisal and life became a struggle to stay alive. The only reason that I wasn't killed with my family was that I was reading in the library. I fell asleep that night without any knowledge of what had happened, it wasn't until the next day..." She trailed off. "I'm not going to think of that." She said determinedly and Snape nodded.

"I can understand why you would wish not to, what's your favorite potion to brew?" He asked suddenly and Lily smiled.

"I love to brew healing potions, they can save lives if your quick enough." Lily said. "While even in my time there was no antidote for the killing curse, other curses could be mitigated through the use of potions and spells. I had to learn what I could, while on the run, fearing for my life, I don't want anyone else to go through that." Lily said and smiled at Severus, patting his arm and frowning. "You are wearing a glamor."

"Yes, I am." Snape said and smiled at her. "How did you know?"

"My armor picks up on magical signatures and tells me when someone is wearing a glamor. That part of it was useless after a time, because everyone wore glamors to protect themselves." She said and finished eating in silence, it wasn't an awkward silence but a companionable one, allowing Lily to think of her next project, which she needed to finish soon, if she ever wanted to get out of her armor. She finished eating and her plate vanished, being replaced with ice cream, she took a bite and let the flavors assault her senses, she closed her eyes in pleasure and smiled. She took another bite, savoring the treat slowly letting it dance upon her tongue, until she realized her plate was empty and she was much too full to eat anymore. She smiled at Severus and he stared at her, wonder in his eyes. She knew that for now he would see her Grandmother whenever he looked at her and that was alright, she liked Severus and hoped that in time he could be her friend. "I should head back home now." Lily said and Severus frowned.

"No please, talk with me some more, I find I enjoy conversing with you." Snape said and Lily smiled.

"Alright, though I do have work to do, the sooner I finish making my necklace the sooner I can get out of this stupid suit." She said and Snape nodded.

"You should take a malnutrition potion and get more then two hours of sleep, much more."

"Its been so decadent here, you really don't know what you have until its gone." Lily said and Snape nodded.

"That is always the case, here, take this, I swear to you that it is a simple malnutrition potion. You really shouldn't be eating so much rich food, you should start out small."

"I know but I can't help myself." Lily admitted. "Its wonderful to be able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want."

"Yes but your body will not know how to handle it and stomach soothers only go so far. I vow to you Lily Luna Potter, by my magic and by my heart never to physically harm you intentionally." He said and Lily nodded.

"And I vow to you Severus Tobias Snape, never to intentionally physically harm you." Lily said and nodded at Florian.

"Its on the house dear girl."

"I don't want charity, I don't need charity." Lily said and put down enough for what she and Severus ate. "Would you like to eat with me again sometime, I liked talking with you."

"As did I, but next time you must allow me to pay."

"Very well, if you insist." Lily said and Snape nodded.

"Indeed I do." Snape said and Lily smiled.

"I've got to get a few things in muggle london, then I'm going home. Anyone know where a good bookshop is?" She asked the crowd.

"I can side along you." Someone offered and she grinned.

"Alright, but know that I can break any of the wards you use, if your offer isn't genuine."

"Can you ward the ministry?"

"Why would I do that, its too much fun to startle the aurors." She said and grinned. "I am after all the niece of two pranksters and the granddaughter of another, I like to cause a bit of a stir." She said and grinned, before taking the witches' hand that had offered to transport her. They popped into a side street and Lily looked around her in surprise.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

She had actually suspected the worst of this woman, the woman who had only been wanting to help her. Lily knew intellectually that she was in another time, but still it was hard to process that she didn't constantly have the threat of death hanging over her. She smiled at the woman. "Thank you for taking me here."

"Just go to that shop dear and thank you." She said and Lily blushed. "Some might not see it the way I do, but I owe you a life debt."

"You didn't die, I made sure of it, you owe me no debt."

"But by coming back you saved my life, the lives of...of my children and my husband." She said and tears came to her eyes.

"I'd rather not talk of it, its hard for me to talk of."

"I understand dear, just write me a letter, my name is Jessabel Barthall."

"Thank you." Lily said and bowed to her, Jessabel smiled.

"You have very good manners, for one raised outside our culture." Jessabel said.

"It was a muggle that once said know your enemy, I suppose you'd know all about that, considering that you took me to a muggle establishment." Lily said and Jessabel smiled.

"I don't consider Muggles my enemies, I just don't wish to associate with them. Every time it has been attempted, they turn on us and we have to go back into hiding."

"I'd be interested in learning more Pureblood customs, I could only learn so much, I'm afraid I was blinded by my own prejudice, before I came up with my plan. It may have not been the most intelligent idea to announce it in the middle of Diagon Alley, but more people came to my side then I could have ever thought of." She said and smiled sadly. "I've yet to write the names of those I made cease to exist, because of coming here, I might not even ever be able to know them all, but I believed that it was worth it, worth everything to save my world."

"Perhaps they might be born again?"

"Yes, but they would be different then who they were." Lily said and sighed. "I will be if I am to be born again, though that does bring up the question of the nature of the spirit, doesn't it?"

"I suppose it would, maybe your Father will have a daughter, but she will have a different spirit then you. I believe you are here, because the fates will it, but then again I believe in the balance."

"As do I, my parents were never religious, I grew up not really believing in anything in perticular. Then when I was at Hogwarts I grew interested in Pureblood beliefs, I wanted to know why they were so determined to hate me. I found the balance and started to practice its teachings, I stopped going to the memorial and although my Dad never knew, I think he knew I was doing something, he just never found out what. I was such a little girl then, he would have accepted it, because he knew me, I know that now. So will you teach me, or find someone that will?"

"I will teach you, when you have the time to learn." She said and Lily grinned sheepishly.

"I suppose I shall be rather busy, with everything I have to do." Lily said and strode in the direction of the bookstore. "Thanks again." She said as she entered the store. "Do you have the Hobbit, anything by Tamora Pierce, or Dianna Whynne Jones."

"Our children's section is towards the back, you should see the sign."

"Thanks." Lily said and strode off in that direction, she picked up the books she wanted and then browsed the science fiction and romance sections. She picked up several more science fiction stories and bought several for Harry and Ginny as well. Maybe if they didn't want to read with her, they'd read them by themselves. Maybe Hermoine and Ron might be interested too, she also bought two prank books for Fred and George, thinking that they might be interested in muggle pranks. "Do you know where a muggle joke shop is?" She asked and the woman nodded.

"Just down the street dear, you shouldn't miss it." She said and Lily grinned paying for her books and taking them in a shopping bag. She walked down the street and opened the door, she bought a box filled with magic tricks, which came with its own instructions, as well as several small gags, including an arrow hat and several rubber ducks for Arthur. She then walked to the alley and disapporated. She arrived at the Burrow and felt her stomach twist, despite the stomach soother, she brought up everything she ate. She sighed realizing that she'd have to stick to broth and felt weak and dizzy. She managed to make it into the burrow, before collapsing on to the couch.

"Are you alright dear? Lily?" Molly demanded and Lily looked up at her.

"Can you make me some broth Gran, I think I should go to Saint Mungos in a little while." Lily said and frowned. "My stomach doesn't seem to want to keep food inside of it."

"How long have you been on nutrition potions?" Molly asked and Lily frowned.

"I think for several years, we ate when we could." Lily said and Molly nodded.

"Of course I'll make you some broth dear, drink it slow alright?" She asked and Lily nodded. She heard Molly working in the kitchen and smiled, as Celena Warbuckle came through the wireless. She got out the necklace she had been working on, a simple Lily pendant, with runes etched into the lily. She added the magic and bound it to her magical core, she smiled when she took off her hood and placed it around her, it had worked. She stripped off the dragon hide suit next and quickly changed into her clothes, frowning when she could count every one of her ribs. The pendant didn't have the cooling charms on it and suddenly she felt like she was burning up, she quickly cast cooling charms onto the pendant and sighed. She would have to go to the hospital, but it was nice to just lie here.

"Lily, you need to stay awake." Someone said and Lily frowned. "You are coming with me to Saint Mungos right now." Her Gran, that was her Gran, why did she feel so sick, that's right she forgot to add the strengthening spells, she was too weak to do them now though, she'd just rest for a little while. "You are coming with me now and you are going to stay awake, do you hear me Lily Luna Potter?" She asked and Lily's eyes opened, her Gran smiled at her, before taking her into her arms and using the fireplace. After that it was hazy for Lily, as she started to fall into darkness.

"Dreamless, please, dreamless." She said and a potion was pressed to her lips, before the darkness took her.


End file.
